JOIN US THIS WINTER
at Big M for single track skiing on trails through the Manistee National Forest.
During the non-snow seasons, activities such as hiking and mountain biking are welcome at Big M trails.
The Big M Cross Country Ski Council together with the Shoreline Cycling Club host a moon-lit ski/bike/hike taking place twice a year!
THE MOONLIGHT SKI AND FAT BIKE NIGHTS ARE INFORMAL. WE HEAD OUT INDEPENDENTLY ON THE TRAILS OR HANG OUT IN THE LODGE WHERE WE HAVE A WOOD STOVE. WE ALSO HAVE AN OUTDOOR BONFIRE. WE DON’T HAVE LIGHTS ON THE TRAILS BUT IF THE MOON IS OUT IT IS BRIGHT. IF IT IS CLOUDY YOU MAY WANT TO BRING A HEADLAMP.
Come on out – we’ll have the fire going!
Fat bike grooming conditions are posted at the Shoreline Bike Club website. Once we have snow, please honor our trail system and ride on the fat bike trails for safety and to avoid conflict with other user groups. Thank you.
IF YOU LIKE TO SKATE SKI, THE MANISTEE NON-MOTORIZED TRAILS ARE NEARBY.
Trail reports from skiers are often on the Nordic Ski Racer website.
OTHER SKI AREAS TO THE SOUTH OF US ARE PENTWATER PATHWAYS AND CRYSTAL VALLEY. SEE THE OCEANA SKI CLUB WEBSITE FOR DETAILS.
The bike and ski loops are separately groomed and traveled.
An outdoor fire-pit provides some heat and a hangout spot - especially at our moon-lit ski nights so you can see the stars.
Or stay cozy in the warming cabin in front of the wood stove!
Classic Nordic Skiing through the beautiful Big M forest area provides a wonderful winter activity!
We have a Ginzu groomer, funded with your contributions. It can grind up icy snow and re-lay it (providing there is enough base snow).
GPS coordinates N44 11.570, W086 04.011
From Manistee take M55 14 miles to Udell Hills Road, take that road south 3 1/2 miles to the Big M.
From the east, take M55 west 29 miles from Cadillac (12 miles from M37) to Udell Hills Road.
We have received grants throughout the years to support our grooming operations and trail maintenance. The Manistee County Community Foundation has been of great support, we are thankful for their help! Check out our press release here.
I moved to Manistee in the spring of 1985, and started hearing about efforts to create a Big M Cross Country
Ski Area as soon as I moved there. I started working at West Shore Community College in the fall of 1984 and
since WSCC President Bill Anderson was very involved with the Manistee Chamber of Commerce, I probably
heard about it then.
I had moved to the area from Northwest Ohio and a few years earlier had bought cross country skis when they
were on sale at a store that couldn’t sell them because there wasn’t much snow that winter. I did try them out a
few times before moving north.
Big M volunteers had opened a few trails for the winter of 1984 and were busy in the fall of 1985 getting more
trails cut for skiers for that winter.
He was on the Manistee High School ski team in the mid-1950s that competed at the Big M downhill ski area – which was a community tourism project that began in the 1950s and from what I understand did pretty well until there was too much money borrowed to install a chair lift (rope tows were used before that time) and the operator took over from the community group that had built the area. The U.S. Forest Service leased the land to the community and then the operator. In the very early 1970s the operator sold to Caberfae Peaks, which closed it down and move the equipment there. The land was reverted to its original state – which included tearing down an impressive lodge which with hindsight would have been a great asset to the cross country ski area. But, at that time no one envisioned that cross country skiing would be a thing.
